How to Reshape Old Pear Trees

Pear trees must be pruned annually to remove dead, damaged and diseased growth. When pear trees are neglected, they lose their ability to produce a bounty of fruit. It is important for not only to remove unhealthy portions from a pear tree, but also to reshape the tree to ensure a strong central leader and evenly spaced scaffold limps. To keep from causing pruning shock, prune pear trees in late winter while the tree is still dormant.

Things You'll Need

• Pruning saw
• Lopping shears
• Bypass shears

Instructions

1. Remove branches that appear damaged or diseased. Look for defoliation, leaf spots, cankers (branch swellings), deformed fruit or dead wood. To tell if a branch is dead, scrape the wood. Greenish white underneath indicates a living branch. Brown or black under the scrape means the branch is dead. Use a pruning saw to cut branches off at their collars — the swellings where the branches meet the trunk.

2. Cut off competing leaders to create one central leader. Competing leaders are horizontal branches growing at the top of the pear tree.

3. Prune away any branches rubbing against each other, which creates wounds that serve as entry points for pests and diseases. Thin out the pear tree to allow more sunlight. Allow enough space between scaffold branches for access and sun.

4. Scrape soil away from roots out of which suckers are growing and prune the suckers flush with the root. Replace the soil.

5. Trim off branches that are growing downward or out of the pear tree's designated planting area.

Tips & Warnings

• Use pruning tools that match the size of the wood. For example, cut small twigs with bypass shears, medium size branches with lopping shears and large branches with a pruning saw.

• Refrain from using wound dressings on pear trees reshaped during the dormant season.

References

• Ohio State University Extension; Pruning Mature Apples and Pears; Pete Lane